The Sri Lankan Supreme Court decided Friday to allow former army chief Sarath Fonseka to appeal his detention on Feb. 23. Hundreds of security forces were deployed around the court building. Anti-riot squads were put on alert and barricades set up along the main access roads to the court, which witnessed violent clashes Wednesday between Fonseka supporters and ruling party activists. “We have taken preventive measures to ensure that law and order is maintained,” police spokesman Prashanth Jayakody said. Fonseka was arrested on Monday, two weeks after being trounced in presidential elections by the incumbent, President Mahinda Rajapakse. He faces a court martial on unspecified charges of conspiring against the government during the latter stages of his term as head of the army. Fonseka's wife had filed her petition challenging the legality of his arrest at the Supreme Court Wednesday. In an interview with Singapore's Straits Times newspaper published Thursday, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the president's younger brother, was quoted as saying about Fonseka: “We are 100 percent convinced that western countries with vested interests were backing him. Even the US, and countries like Norway, spent lots of money on his campaign.” He also said he had proof that Norway, which earlier had brokered unsuccessful peace talks between the government and rebels, had paid journalists to “write against the government.” “They have vested interests and used to support the Tamil Tigers in various ways. They also supported Fonseka to try oust the president,” he was quoted as saying. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry denied the allegations, saying “Norway has never and will never interfere with other countries' elections or in any way try to undermine or oust a democratically elected government and president.” The United States also denied accusations, and the US Embassy called on the government to protect the rights of opposition supporters and media.
